The Tactician and the Manakete (Nowi)
by nightingaleofshadow
Summary: Seris is faced with a decision that will change the rest of his life. How will the one he's chasing react? Expect fluff, and some lewdness. First chapter is wishful thinking, because just going by her dialogue in game, she's not a virgin. Second chapter, which is an alternate way it could have gone, is a more realistic take


Seris was not a man who was unsettled easily. He had stared death in the face multiple times, and come out alive, though not always unscathed. The numerous scars across his body were a testament to that. Normally unflappable in the face of any situation, the tactician was always one of the only voices of reason when things got crazy.

But not now. Sitting crosslegged on his bedroll holding the object he had been working on, the young man was finding himself starting to sweat in nervousness. He had been looking forward to this day for a while, but now that it was here, he could feel so many thoughts and feelings rattling around inside him. What if she said no? What if she already had someone? They had been growing closer and closer, since they had first met. He had hoped the feelings he had for her were mutual, but he couldn't help but worry.

He had poured so much energy into the creation of this object that he had almost no time to do much of anything else. Seris was so thankful that the Shepherds hadn't gotten into a conflict recently, or he would have been so much worse off. Somehow, even during this grueling campaign against Valm, there were dry spells where they wouldn't experience combat for days on end.

Taking a deep breath, Seris steeled himself, stood up, surprising his tent mate, Stahl. The laid back Shepherd looked at him for a moment, before he noticed the shining object in Seris' hand.

"You're going now? It's getting late."

"I like the twilight, and there was really no time during the day." Seris said to his friend, opening the tent flap.

"Wait, what happens if she says yes? Should I see if I can bunk with Virion? Cuz I imagine that if things go well, you'll want a tent to yourself." Stahl said, a sly grin forming on his face.

Pausing, Seris looked back. He had honestly not thought that far ahead, another thing caused by his uncharacteristic nervousness.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best. Even if things turn out badly, you probably don't want to be here tonight." The tactician replied, before turning around, closing the flap.

As he made his way across the camp, Seris could feel the nervousness bubbling and rising again. Tucking the small object into his pocket so he didn't lose it, he wrapped his cloak tighter around his wide shoulders, even though his shivers weren't entirely from the cold.

Having been at Chrom's side since being picked up out of the field where they had found him, Seris was no stranger to the anxiety of battle. He had fought for Chrom, taken a wound that would have killed the young Prince, and formulated the plan that brought Gangrel to his downfall. But in the three years that he could remember, he had never once been this nervous. For this action required a different kind of bravery, not the kind that helps you pick up your sword, or cast magic.

Standing outside another tent, Seris called out softly.

"Nowi? Nowi, are you in there? I need to talk to you."

Instead of the diminutive manakete, the pensive Taguel, Panne, answered, pushing through the tent's flap. Nowi and Panne had found kindred spirits in each other, being the only otherworldly creatures in the Shepards.

"Seris? What do you require?"

Disappointment shivered through Seris, but he fought hard to hide it. Panne must have noticed it, because she gave a miniscule smile.

"She's not here. She said something about walking beside the lake, and catching frogs. So whatever business you have with her, take it there."

Without another word, the Taguel pushed her way back into her tent, and Seris was left alone again. Biting his lip, he turned on his heel, kicking himself for not being able to get a word in with the seemingly cold woman. He was usually prepared for Panne's offputting personality, but his nerves were frayed beyond hope for that. He just hoped he wouldn't run into Tharja. Nothing would save him if she realized his intentions before he talked to Nowi.

As Seris finally reached the lake, he noted that the sun had set, and twilight had finally surrendered to night. The water reflected the cloudless sky perfectly, and the full moon was reflected at the center. It was, in all, a beautiful sight, until a loud splash, and ripples shattered the mirror-like surface. Looking to the source of the sound, Seris saw Nowi skipping rocks into the water, and giggling when she got more than 5 skips.

Taking a deep breath, the young man steeled himself, and slowly approached the small woman, hoping desperately that he wouldn't startle her. He could faintly feel a memory of the bruise from where she had accidentally hit HIM with a rock, while hunting a snake. He couldn't help but smile slightly, as he rubbed the spot where she had hit him.

"Seris? What are you doing out here"

Startled out of his reverie, Seris saw that Nowi was looking at him, with her enormous purple eyes staring directly into his silver ones. Gulping, Seris reached into his pocket, and pullet out the small object, hiding it in his closed hand.

"I was actually looking for you. There some things I've been meaning to ask you for a while now, I just haven't been able to do it. For a number of reasons, really."

The manakete looked confused, but curious. She threw her last rock into the water before pulling her cloak off, folding it up, placing it on the ground and sitting on it, beckoning for the Tactician to do the same. Acquiescing, Seris joined Nowi on the ground, his dark grey cloak underneath him.

"That stone you gave me. Was it truly precious to you?" Seris began. He had been considering how to start the conversation, and this seemed the best way to do it.

"Of course it was. Before I gave it to you, it was my most prized posession. But it's your's now, so don't even dream of giving it back! I am looking for a new one, but I haven't really found anything yet." Nowi replied, giving him one of her trademark grins that seemed to stretch from one large, feathery ear to the other.

"That's what I thought. Well, maybe I can help you with your search." Seris said, opening his hand. In his pale palm was a small golden ring, decorated with tiny dragons circling the large black gem set in the middle of it. Small runes of protection circled the place where the gem was set.

"Woah! It's so shiny, and pretty! But, that doesn't look like a normal rock to me." Nowi gasped.

"That was the stone you gave me. It took a bit of work, but I turned it into a ring."

"Er, Seris?" Nowi was gazing at the ring, and her face was slowly getting red.

"I know what kind of ring this is. You want us to promise to be together forever and ever."

"Good, you do know the custom. I was afraid I would have to explain it to you." Seris breathed, relaxing.

"Of course. I'm not a total dummy." Nowi laughed, winking one huge purple eye at him.

"Sorry. Sometimes its easy to forget how long you have been around human. But if you know what the ring is, then you know what it means to accept it, and that I will completely understand if you say no." The last part was a lie, and Seris could feel his heart pounding harder than ever as he watched the small woman's face.

Nowi rocketed to her feet, and dove at Seris, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"I do! I do, in every sense of the word, Seris! I've wanted to be with you for so long, I just never thought you would ask!" She all but yelled, with tears of happiness falling down her cheeks. She was laughing, and crying, into his shoulder, and Seris could feel his composure break at last. He started laughing with her, and held her tightly.

"Then the only thing I regret is not asking you sooner, Nowi. You have no idea how nervous I was about this. The only thing I could think about was 'Oh gods, what if she says no.' We're going to be so happy together."

"I know we will, Seris. Just think of all the wonderful centuries… er, YEARS we'll have together!" She had recovered from her hysteria, and was looking him in his eyes. Seris met her gaze, staring deep into her large purple eyes, which had a tinge of sadness in them from her slip-up. Seris never wanted to see that again.

"No. It will be centuries. I don't know how, but I will find a way. I'll make sure that you are never alone again, Nowi. I promise you." The tactician said, seriously.

"Well, forever is a long ways off. We can work that bit out later, I suppose, because right now, we have a bit of work to do."

Nowi stood up, grabbed her cloak of the ground, and pulled Seris to his feet.

"I know. But we should wait on the ceremony until after we're done with Valm. I promise it will be even bigger than Chrom's!"

Looking back at her husband, Nowi winked, a small blush still turning her cheeks red.

"That's not the kind of work I was talking about, Seris."

The tactician turned beet red, and smiled.

The moment they were both in the tent, which was mercifully devoid of Stahl, Nowi threw her arms around her husband and tackled him to the ground, pressing her small lips to his. Surprised at her enthusiasm, Seris wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tighter to him. He could taste berries on her lips…

After a few minutes, Nowi broke the kiss, panting slightly. The smile on her face was a combination of demure and mischevious, and Seris couldn't get enough of it, even as the manakete forcefully pulled his shirt up and over his head, revealing his pale chest. She found the scar from Gangrel's blade, and tenderly ran a finger along it, causing Seris to shiver. As he recovered, he noticed a few flashes of gold, orange and green from the tent flap. They had observers.

"Looks like we have an audience." He whispered into his wife's ear as she continued playing with the marks on his chest.

"I know, i smelled them. I don't care. This isn't their night, it's ours." The manakete bit his ear, gently.

Smiling, and putting the peeping tom's out of his mind, Seris gently lifted his wife, and laid her on the ground, kissing her softly all the while. He then slowly started removing her top, as she deepened the kiss. He could feel their toungues dancing. Gently, lovingly lacing their fingers together, Seris slowly started kissing his way down his wife's neck and chest, gently nibbling in certain places. Nowi shivered when she felt his teeth on the side of her neck, and by the time he had gotten to her breasts, she shoved a free hand into her mouth to stifle her squeaks of pleasure. The manakete's breasts were tiny, as befitting her height and build, but Seris still found entertainment in them, slowly licking around her small, faint areolas, deliberately ignoring her nipples as she writhed underneath him. By the time he finally started licking and biting her nipples, she was using her hand, still decorated with faint bite marks from where she had bitten it, to shove his face into her tiny chest.

Gently rolling one of her nipples in his mouth, savoring the taste, Seris used his free hand and slowly started removing the small woman's large boots, gently running his hands along her long legs as he did so. Finally leaving her upper chest, Seris kissed his way downwards, stopping at her small navel, sliding his hand up her lean thigh as he did so. As Nowi writhed in pleasure below him, he gently began to remove her small shorts, wincing as her grip on his hand began to resemble a vice. Pulling the shorts off, and placing them aside, Seris put his free hand between Nowi's long legs, finding her soft, warm womanhood wet.

If she had been writhing before, she was positively thrashing how, as his long fingers slowly explored her. To stop herself from screaming, she shoved her hand further into her mouth, but even that couldn't completely stifle her moans. Pausing, Seris moved back up his wife's body, and tenderly kissed her on the mouth, moving her fist out of the way. Even while kissing him, she was still moaning.

Breaking the kiss, Nowi buried her face in Seris' shoulder, her face bright red. Taking the hint, Seris pulled her up and onto his lap, holding her against him chest as she panted.

"Seris" Her voice was muffled by his bare shoulder, and she nuzzled even deeper into his embrace. The tactician slowly began moving his hands along her thin back as she rested and tried to regain her composure, exploring every muscle, running his long fingers along her shoulders. The small manakete gently sank her teeth into Seris' shoulder, gentle enough to not break the skin. She was shaking, whether from pleasure or fear, Seris couldn't tell. But he could tell that she was scared, regardless. He had definitely known her long enough.

"Nowi" He said her name in a reassuring tone, gently stroking her face and hair, content to simply hold her in his arms.

"Nowi" He held her tighter, determined to not let her go. When he promised her forever, he meant it.

Pulling herself free, Nowi suddenly laid back down on the bedroll, and held out her arms. Her huge eyes were slightly teary, but she was smiling.

"Seris? I'm ready if you are. But I want to see you when it happens. I want to look into your eyes, and I want you to see me as it happens." Her voice was slightly shaky, but she was resolute.

Standing up, Seris removed his trousers and undergarments, savoring the cool night air on his naked body. He could feel his muscles pulling as he stretched his long, lean body, before joining his wife on the bedroll.

She almost screamed as he entered her, but with both her hands being held by his, she instead chose to sink her teeth into his shoulder again. Gazing down at where they were connected, Seris was shocked to see that his member now streaked with red.

"Nowi, you're bleeding!" Seris exclaimed.

"Are you surprised that you're my first? I had to fight to keep it like that, but I never wanted anyone but my husband inside me." There were tears streaking the manakete's small face as she smiled in his shoulder.

"Am I truly the first? Have you never tried to love before?"

Instead of answering, Nowi bit down harder, sobbing with happiness.

Later that night, the full moon shining on the camp, Seris was sitting upright while Nowi slept beside him, the pair of them still sweating. His arms wrapped around his long legs, Seris couldn't help but watch the manakete sleep. She looked so radically different when she wasn't bouncing around the camp that it was almost like an entirely different person was sleeping next to him. Reaching one arm out, Seris gently stroked the manakete's long blond/green hair, a million thoughts racing through his sharp mind. Thoughts of what they would do after the war, if they both survived. Ylissetol was a nice place to live, but it probably wasn't the right place to race children that had the potential to turn into dragons. Chrom probably wouldn't mind too much, but Frederick would have his head.

As he stroked Nowi's hair, Seris didn't notice the small woman crack one eye open, the huge purple orb staring around blearily at first, before focusing on her husband. Yawning, the manakete sat up, the covers falling off her thin body. Slowly, she snaked around Seris' back, resting her chin on his shoulder, which had a large red bite mark from where she had bitten him.

"Copper for your thoughts?"

Looking at his wife, who was still rubbing sleep from her eyes, Seris chuckled to himself.

"I was thinking about how nice a swim would be, right about now"

Looking down at the pair laying on the bedroll, Stahl couldn't help but chuckle. Nowi was small enough that, even though they were practically connected at the hips, Seris' chin still rested on the top of her head. They looked so content, and happy, that the knight didn't want to wake them.

"I think Chrom will understand if his tactician sleeps in, just this once."


End file.
